South of Nowhere: The Virtual 4th Season
by LaurenLove
Summary: South of Nowhere is over? Spashley is dead? Aiden is good in bed? Thats not what I heard. Getting Somewhere: The Virtual 4th Season
1. Information

South of Nowhere: The Virtual 4th Season

Getting Somewhere

Ok, well hey everyone! This is just ever so exciting! Ok, so basically there is a virtual 4th season of South of Nowhere called Getting Somewhere. Gabrielle Christian has an ad on her website for it, I believe. When I found it I was jumping up and down doing a happy dance! This is like the most fabulous news ever! A FOURTH SEASON, PEOPLE!! I mean I just want to get the word around as many South of Nowhere fans as I can because I'd hate to be still mourning over the cancelation and NOT know about this! So I decided to post their episodes here for all of you Spashley enthusiasts to read! I do not own ANY of this beautiful work. The episodes belong to www(dot)getting-somewhere(dot)com ! And I BEG you to go check them out on LiveJournal! PLEASE GO JOIN AND FRIEND THE COMMUNITY!!!! And btw, I am just a fan of this production and am in no way involved in any aspect of it's creation. Before I post the season premiere, episode 4.01 Orientation, here is some information You should know about this season.

The New Characters,

Spencer, Ashley, Kyla, Glen and Aiden are all still main characters, while Paula, Arthur, Madison and Chelsea were bumped down to reaccuring, for obvious reasons. The Carlin kids aren't living at home, Madison was gearing up to be a music star and Chelsea left for Paris. There will be two new main characters added to the cast [Jackson and Taylor] and many other new reaccuring characters.

This will introduce you to the new characters we have created for the fourth season. Now, there are four of them here, only the first two will be main characters, and the second two are new reoccurring ones. Also, there will obviously be more original characters popping up, but these are the four major ones for now. We probably won't go to the trouble of casting every guest character or anything. We might have new major ones come 4B, though, but we'll handle that when we come to it. Until, then, enjoy these characters and please let us know what you think of them.

**TRISTAN WILDS** as **JACKSON**. Jackson, whose friends call him JJ, is a freshmen at UCLA. He's a laid back guy that goes with the flow, and tries not to worry too much about the future. He's undecided on his major, and is still waiting to find something that really interests him. While he's always up for a good time, he's more than happy to just hang out and do nothing with his friends or girlfriend, and avoid any drama. He's in Spencer's sociology class, and the two hit it off right off the bat, forming a quick and close friendship, Spencer's first at college.

**LUCY KATE HALE** as **TAYLOR**.  
Taylor and her father have just moved to LA because her father has been transferred. Her and her father used to be close, but lately all he's been doing is working. She's a disillusioned, lonely fifteen year old who goes to King High, and hangs around the YMCA that Kyla volunteers at. One might think she'd get along with Ashley, given their similarities, but their less than stellar first meeting might hinder their ability to see just how much they have in common, and how much they could learn from each other, if only they could put their differences aside.

**LAURA RAMSEY** as **MELANIE**. Melanie is a student at UCLA, and is dating Spencer's new friend Jackson, and the three of them form a sort of trio at school. She and Jackson have known each other since they were little, and they've been together since freshmen year in high school. Much like Jackson, she's very easy going and friendly, and is very much a guy's girl.

**JAKE MCDORMAN** as **GAVIN**. Gavin is another UCLA student, but he's not exactly as friendly as the other people Spencer has met there. Spencer meets him in one of her film study classes, and it doesn't take her long to realize that he's a cocky jerk. Spencer doesn't understand what he has against her, but he really likes to give her a hard time.

Getting Somewhere has arranged photos of these actors on LiveJournal so go check them out I thought they were awesome choices.

Ok so for more information GO TO THE LIVEJOURNAL SITE! PLEEEEASE! Ill post the Season Premiere right after this. Once again I OWN NOTHING!!


	2. Season Premiere Episode 401 Orientation

Getting Somewhere

Season 4 Primiere

Episode 4.01: Orientation

**TEASER.**

**Scene:**

**UCLA Lecture Hall – Morning**.

"'The broad masses of a population are more amenable to the appeal of rhetoric than to any other force.' In his Mein Kampf, Hitler made no secret of his use of lies to sway the German people. Over the course of the semester, we will be covering Hitler's social and political views during his rise to power, focusing on the Third Reich and the Holocaust."

A young man fought off a yawn.

The first class of the first day, and he was already bored. That didn't bode well for when the real lectures would begin. His attention wandered from the professor to his surrounding classmates, finding most to be enjoying the monotonous overview just as little as he was. Halfway through his lazy scan of the room, his eyes landed on the girl sitting to his right.

She was young like he was, with blonde hair framing an attractively innocent face. Though he took his time appreciating them, the girl's looks weren't what stood out; her notebook was open, the first white sheet already marked with a half page of neatly-written notes despite the blue course syllabus sitting next to it. The brand new mechanical pencil in her hand worked dutifully as their professor droned on. A second quick survey of the lecture hall revealed she was the only one writing.

Most likely sensing his gaze, the blonde glanced his way and gave him a kind smile before turning back to her note taking. In that brief moment, he caught a glimpse of blue eyes.

As the clock on the wall ticked closer to the end of class, the boy attempted to return his focus to the instructor.

"Exams will count for sixty percent of your final grade. In addition, you will need to complete a term paper by the end of the semester based on a question of my choosing, counting for thirty percent of your grade. The remaining ten percent will consist of participation and any assignments or quizzes I feel are appropriate." The professor, like her students, glanced up at the clock. "Please have chapters one and two of your text read by our next session and be ready to start discussion. You're dismissed."

As the hall buzzed to life with students getting up to leave, the young man leaned out of his desk towards the blonde next to him. "Hey."

The girl hastily jotted down a few last notes before looking up at him, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Hi."

"Looking forward to the Holocaust?" he teased, gesturing to the notebook she was putting away.

She nodded happily. "Yeah, I think it'll be really interesting." She then flushed a faint red at how eager she sounded.

"At least that makes one of us." As the two stood from their seats and shouldered their book bags, the boy stuck out his hand. "I'm Tom."

The blonde shook the proffered hand with bright grin. "Spencer."

Tom fell into step beside the girl as they exited the lecture room. "You mind if I walk with you a ways?"

A light smile continued to play on Spencer's lips. "No, I don't mind."

"Cool. So, um, what's your next class?"

"Oh, I have a bit of a break, but then I have Intro to Psychology. You?"

"I'm off to Calculus. I think there should be a law against having math this early in the day." It was Tom's turn to smile when Spencer laughed quietly. "So…you from L.A.?"

"No, I actually grew up in Ohio. My family moved here a couple years ago. What about you?"

"San Diego. Just moved into the dorms."

"And what's that like?"

The boy thought for a moment. "…cramped."

The blonde again chuckled at his simple response. "I'm not surprised."

Stepping out of the building into the morning sun, Tom adjusted the bag on his shoulder. "So, since we're going to suffer the Third Reich together and everything, maybe we could get together sometime and trade notes over a burger or something…?"

Spencer didn't answer as her attention was drawn to a familiar black Porsche parked on the street, an equally familiar brunette perched against the hood with two coffees in hand. Tossing a distracted "excuse me" over her shoulder to Tom, the blonde bounded over to the convertible. Bouncing to a halt, Spencer greeted her dark-haired visitor with a short kiss and a giddy smile.

"Hi!"

The car's owner beamed in return and handed over one of the foam cups she held. "Hey, college girl. You were in such a hurry to get out the door this morning, you forgot your coffee."

Spencer's smile softened, her head tilting to the side. "Aw, thank you."

Proud of herself, the brunette tapped a finger to her own lips and was quickly rewarded with a another kiss. "Well, we can't have you falling asleep," she explained. "I mean, we have a whole _two hours_ before your next class."

"Ash."

The older girl shrugged innocently. "What? You said you wanted to make room on our bookshelves for all your new textbooks."

With a playful glare, Spencer shook her head at Ashley's poorly hidden smirk. Completely forgotten by the blonde, Tom stood observing from the building stairs. His shoulders held a noticeable slump, but his eyes shone with a strange glint as he watched the girls interact.

College might not be so boring after all.

**ACT ONE.**

**Act 1:**

**Santa Monica College Administration Office – Morning**.

"What?! You can't be serious!"

Even in the relatively quiet office, the exclamation did little to distract the other employees from their tasks or change the looks of boredom on the other students waiting in line.

"I'm sorry Mr. Carlin, but your application and payment arrived after the deadline."

Glen stared at the receptionist in disbelief. "Can't you just make an exception?"

"Enrollment for housing is closed," the woman explained patiently. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do for you."

"Is there anyone else I can talk to?"

"I could get you in touch with our administrator, but I'm certain he couldn't tell you any differently. Campus policy is that any applications submitted after the deadline cannot be processed." The receptionist watched as the boy dropped his shoulders and hung his head. "There's a listing of on-campus apartment complexes on the wall to your left, if it's of any help."

Running a hand through his hair, Glen glanced over at the board. "Yeah, thanks," he mumbled glumly.

With a half-hearted smile to the woman behind the counter, he walked over to the wall to see what his options were.

**Scene:**

**Kyla and Aiden's Apartment – Same Time**.

A pair of hands worked to tie the white laces of black tennis shoes. When finished, Aiden stood up from the bed and looked around the room in confusion.

"Ky?" he called. "Where'd you put my gym bag?"

Kyla's voice drifted in from the living room. "In the closet."

The dark-haired boy opened the closet door and pulled the duffel out. "Why is it in there?"

The short brunette appeared in the doorway, arms crossed casually as she leaned against the frame. "Because I kept tripping over it."

Setting the bag on the bed, Aiden unzipped the flap and rifled through its contents. Adding to the items already inside, he threw in a clean set of gym clothes and his basketball.

Kyla gestured to the ball. "What's the occasion?"

"Tryouts are going to be starting soon. I was thinking I'd check it out and maybe sign up."

"Really? That's good!" She sat down next to his bag while he continued getting ready to leave. "You haven't played in so long. Is that why you've been hitting the gym like crazy lately?"

Aiden faltered. "Uh…yeah. Gotta keep in shape, you know."

Kyla's eyebrow inched up at his hesitation, but she said nothing.

"I might not, though," he continued. "Like I said, I'm just checking it out."

"I think you should do it."

Aiden nodded pointedly at the books he was sliding into his school bag. "I have to survive my classes first."

"You'll be fine," she assured.

"Yeah, maybe. Look, I gotta go."

Grabbing both his backpack and his gym bag, Aiden rushed out of the apartment, pausing only long enough to peck the brunette on the cheek. The door closed, leaving Kyla alone.

She sighed.

"Love you, too."

**Scene:**

**Ashley and Spencer's Loft – Late Morning.**

Ashley groaned as she flopped down onto their sofa. She watched unhappily as her girlfriend stuffed the textbooks for her afternoon classes into her backpack. "Do you really have to go already?"

Spencer nodded sadly. "I don't make the class schedules."

"Well, _technically_, you do."

"_Technically_," the blonde mimicked, "I'd like to graduate on time."

Ashley just gave an offhanded shrug. "Post-college life is highly overrated."

"But I would like to get there this decade."

Sitting up, the brunette clutched a throw pillow to her chest. "I feel like I've barely seen you today."

Spencer rolled her eyes at the other girl's protruding lip. "I've been to one class."

"Your point?"

"Maybe if you hadn't spent the last hour drawing all over my notebooks…"

"I was making them pretty for you!"

Spencer regarded the notebook covers with an appraising eye. She couldn't help a fond smile when she saw the various scribbles of heart-adorned initials decorating the plastic. "Ah yes, A.D. My one true love." She paused for effect. "Say, where is Aiden, anyway? I haven't heard from him in a while."

Ashley's face fell. "Do not even joke about that."

Smirking, Spencer leaned over and kissed the brunette on the nose. "Sorry."

The brunette frowned as the younger girl disappeared around the corner into their bedroom. "Can I at least drop you off at campus?"

"You insisted on buying me a sixty thousand dollar car so that you could drive me to my classes?"

"Don't hate me because I'm rich and needy." She looked up at Spencer as she reentered the room. "Please? Just for now?"

"Okay," the blonde relented with a nod. "Just be outside the Student Activities Center by six-thirty."

"I thought your last class got out at five." A pout was threatening to reform on the musician's lips. "It's the first day, and you're already staying late?"

"There's an orientation for GSA tonight. I kind of wanted to go."

"I didn't know UCLA had the Girl Scouts of America," Ashley deadpanned.

"Gay-Straight Alliance, Ash."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Same diff." Standing, she picked up her keys. "Yeah, that's fine. I was thinking about swinging by the studio to make sure Madison hasn't blown up and tried to fire the whole sound crew. Again."

Grinning in amusement, Spencer gathered her book bag. "Tell her I said hello."

"Sure. I know she'll appreciate that more than the five-letter words I come up with."

"Be nice," the blonde chastised gently. "Remember she's doing you a service."

Ashley pulled a face. "Yeah, um, no. I wouldn't let her 'service' me with a ten-foot pole."

Sighing in exasperation, Spencer gave the shorter girl a light shove. "You know what I mean. Now get your butt in gear and drive me to class."

Instead of retorting, Ashley merely took the blonde's hand and led her through the loft door.

**Scene:**

**SMC Campus Gymnasium – Afternoon.**

The gymnasium was bustling with activity. Students were engaged in a casual game of basketball on the court while the SMC coach and some of his varsity players manned the tables along the sidelines for tryout signups. Aiden hovered nearby, watching his peers fill out the necessary forms.

"Going to stand there all day?" a voice behind him wondered.

Aiden looked over his shoulder, met with the smirking face of a student his age. "I don't quite know if I'm up for it yet."

"You're here, aren't you?" the other boy reasoned. "Might as well sign a few papers. You can always wimp out later." He held out his hand. "Noah Parker. Jordan High Panther."

First glancing down at Noah's hand, Aiden nodded his acknowledgment and gave it a firm shake.

"Aiden Dennison. King High Cobra."

"Veteran, huh? Wouldn't have guessed with the way you've been cowering back here."

Aiden let the barb roll off him. "Yeah, I played in high school, but last year was kind of rough. I've been off my game."

"I wouldn't worry. Playing with the big boys, you'll get back in it in no time."

Clapping him on the back, Noah made his way to one of the signup tables to drop off his already completed forms. Aiden watched his new acquaintance saunter out of the gym, a small frown on his face. He hesitated only a few moments longer before taking in a breath and approaching the coach's table.

**Scene:**

**Music Studio – Afternoon.**

On the opposite side of a glass panel, Madison stood in front of a microphone. Behind her were four young men, two with guitars, one behind a drum set, and the last sitting at a keyboard.

Ethan Marks ran a hand through his hair. "Five bands in four weeks, and she doesn't like any of them."

Across from him, Ashley was reclining lazily as she flipped through the band members' résumés. "Yeah, but I listened to those demos, and she's right. They all sucked."

The producer shook his head. "We should've had a band in place by now."

"You know, I warned you she was a handful, but you wanted your Pussycat Doll."

"Do you think you could talk to her? We have to have this figured out by the time she starts her tour. I can't promote music that isn't being recorded."

Ashley held up her hands. "Hey, I'm just the writer." Catching Ethan's unamused stare, she rolled her eyes. "Relax, would you? I know Madison. She won't quit until she's sucked the life out of each and every decent person around her for her own personal gain. She'll get it done."

Ethan stared at the writer in wonder. "I think that's the first time I've heard you defend her."

The brunette lifted her gaze from the papers in her hands in confusion. "Did you not hear the part about her sucking the life out of people?"

The producer just grinned smugly. "Speaking of the tour, the demos we have are fine for now, but we'll need new material to work with by the time she's back in L.A."

"I know. Not a problem."

The door to the sound booth opened, and Madison came out into the editing room. She began sifting through a pile of sheet music on the table, but not before giving the other brunette a strange look. "Ashley? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to hear the audition."

"Why?"

Ashley gave a patronizing grin. "So I could see your smiling face."

Madison merely scoffed. "Whatever. I was going to drop these off later, but since you're here…"

When the singer held out a binder for her to take, the writer eyed it skeptically. "What is this?"

"Revisions I want you to make. There are just a few things that aren't working for me."

"I thought we agreed the songs were fine."

"I changed my mind." With a toss of her hair, Madison started back towards the sound booth. "Oh, and I need those by the end of the week."

Ashley glared down at the binder in her hand. "Perfect."

**Scene:**

**Carlin Residence – Early Evening.**

Glen cautiously opened the door to his parents' house. "Mom? Dad?"

Poking his head out of the kitchen, Arthur greeted the boy happily. "Glen! Homesick already?"

"You could say that," the boy hinted through a forced smile. "Is Mom home?"

"Yeah, upstairs." Arthur called to his wife. "Paula?"

The older blonde soon appeared at the top of the steps, quickly coming down to hug her son. "Oh, hi, sweetie! I didn't expect to see you so soon. Not that I'm not happy to," she added as an afterthought.

Glen gave a slow nod. "Yeah. Missed you guys."

Paula squeezed his shoulders. "Glen, I have to tell you, I am so proud of you. Going to Santa Monica and getting out there on your own…"

"Yeah, about that—"

"It's so good to see you taking a direction in life," the woman continued.

Glen grimaced somewhat embarrassedly. "I'm…glad I decided to do it. Actually, Mom, Dad, there's kind of something I need to ask you guys."

Just as she was about to question, Paula's cell phone chimed. "It's the hospital," she realized. "I'm sorry, honey, but I have to take this. I'll be right back, okay?"

The woman walked into the other room, leaving father and son alone. Arthur sat down in the living room, motioning for the boy to do the same.

"So, how's Chelsea?" the older man wondered.

"Oh, um…she's…she's good, you know?" Glen fumbled, oddly tense. "Living the dream and, uh…yeah."

"You guys are still doing okay?"

Almost reluctantly, the boy nodded. "…yeah. We're good."

Arthur looked like he wanted to press, but Paula came back in at that moment, sitting down next to him and turning to their son.

"I'm sorry about that, Glen," the mother apologized again. "You needed to ask us something?"

The boy hesitated as he took in his parents' happy faces. He plastered on a smile. "…what's for dinner?"

**Scene:**

**ULCA Campus – Early Evening**

The door of room 212 was open, a simple hand-drawn sign on the wall next to it reading 'Gay-Straight Alliance Orientation' in multicolored letters. A small rainbow flag was taped below. It looked harmless enough, but still Spencer lingered nervously just outside the meeting room.

As she dithered, the blonde sensed someone step up beside her, halting just at the edge of her vision.

"Are they sacrificing chickens yet?" the young man wondered quietly, as though not to startle her.

The sheer absurdity of the question, however, caused Spencer to bark out a laugh. She looked over at her new company, taking in the gently teasing smile and brown eyes glinting with mirth. His manner was contagious, and she quickly found herself mirroring it in spite of her earlier tension.

"You know, I don't think that starts until the second meeting."

"Good. I'd hate to miss it." The young man regarded the blonde with a sideways glance, gesturing towards the room with his head. "I'll go in if you do."

The blonde looked to the doorway and breathed deeply. Turning back to her companion, she nodded confidently. "Let's do it."

The boy motioned for her to take the lead, and Spencer's mouth nearly fell open as she walked through the door. Close to one hundred students already filled the large conference room, with more coming in every few minutes. Against one wall were a couple tables full of beverages and cookies. Along the opposite wall was a table piled with orientation folders and tended by what appeared to be group alumni.

Oddly comforted by the young man's presence behind her, Spencer walked up to one of the female leading members and was met with a warm smile.

"Hi there. Welcome to GSA," the woman greeted. She held out a folder for the blonde to take. "Here's a little something to get you started. Inside is a little bit about who we are and what we do here. I'll be speaking to everyone shortly, so help yourself to the snack table and make yourself comfortable."

Spencer accepted the folder with a quiet "thank you" and made her way over to the cookie selection. Sugary spoils in hand, she then took a seat in one of the empty folding chairs scattered throughout the room. It wasn't long before the boy from earlier sat down next to her.

"Well, this isn't too bad, now is it?" he remarked, gesturing to their surrounding peers.

Spencer nodded as she, too, scanned the room. "I don't know why I was so nervous to come in here."

The young man shrugged. "The unknown?"

"I guess."

With a disarming smile, the boy introduced himself. "Jackson Reilly."

The blonde found it very hard to not return the beaming expression as she reciprocated. "Spencer Carlin."

"It's very nice to meet you, Spencer Carlin."

"You too, Jackson Reilly."

"The more privileged get to call me JJ," the boy told her slyly. "Jackson James," he explained after a beat.

"And what does one have to do to become privileged enough?"

Jackson pretended to think about it as he stroked his chin. He then held up one of his treats from the snack table. "Trade one of her Oreos for this chocolate chip cookie."

Spencer giggled at the endearing request. "All right. I think I can manage that."

As the two swapped their cookies, the GSA speakers took the head of the room to begin the meeting. Exchanging a final smile of reassurance, the two turned their attention to the presentation.

**Scene:**

**Ashley and Spencer's Loft – Night.**

An elevator door slid open, revealing Ashley and Spencer as they stepped out into the corridor.

"Spence, if you didn't like the restaurant, we could've gone somewhere else."

"I didn't say I didn't like it. It was just a little loud. We could barely hold a conversation."

The brunette slipped her hand into the blonde's. "Okay, then we won't go there anymore."

Coming around the corner into their hallway, they found Glen sitting outside their door. A couple luggage bags were on the floor next to him.

"Glen? What are you doing here?" Spencer asked warily.

Upon seeing the girls, the boy clambered to his feet. "Hey, um, sorry to bust in on you guys like this, but I kind of have a big favor to ask."

When Ashley opened the door to the loft, Spencer motioned for her brother to go inside. Carrying his bags in, Glen patiently waited for their full attention before continuing.

"Can I stay with you guys? Please?"

Spence cocked her head to the side. "I thought you were staying in the dorms."

"I missed the deadline," her brother admitted. "I don't _have_ a dorm, and the apartments that I can afford are all rented out."

"Ouch."

Glen waved his hand in agreement. "Yeah. So can I crash here?"

"Why don't you just go back to Mom and Dad's?" the younger Carlin wondered.

"I tried, but they're both so happy that I've 'taken a new direction' and 'moved on in life' or whatever, so it's, like, impossible to move back now."

Not knowing what to say, Spencer looked to Ashley, but the musician's expression suggested she was less than thrilled.

"There's always Chelsea's couch," she murmured.

"Ash," Spencer warned. "Be nice."

The brunette shrugged. "What? Paris isn't _that_ far."

With a sigh, the blonde looked back to her brother. "One night, Glen." The boy nodded in subdued understanding. "I know it's a long shot, but maybe you could ask Kyla and Aiden. They're at least not far from SMC."

"Yeah, maybe. I'll be out of here tomorrow, but…thanks for letting me stay."

Ashley leaned closer to the older Carlin with a conspiratorial whisper. "For tonight, though, you might want to invest in some earplugs. Spencer's a lot louder than she used to be."

The filmmaker promptly slapped her girlfriend's arm. "Ashley!"

"I was talking about your snoring."

"I do not snore!" Spencer protested while the brunette simply smirked. "Fine. If my 'snoring' bothers you so much, you can sleep on the couch. Alone."

As the blonde whirled around and strode into their bedroom, Ashley's jaw dropped. Distractedly, she gestured towards Glen.

"You, you can stay in Kyla's old room. You're good, right?"

Before Glen even had a chance to answer, the music writer abandoned her guest and trailed after her girlfriend.

"Yeah," he told the empty living room. "I'm good."

His cell phone rang, the sound muffled by his pocket. He fished the device out, reading the caller ID and cringing in dread. The ring tone repeated, but he continued to hesitate. His thumb was poised to flip the cover up but made no move to do so. Finally, the ringer hushed, and the screen stopped flashing. Glen dropped onto the sofa, letting his head fall into his hands.

A few moments later, the new voicemail chime sounded.

**Scene:**

**Ashley and Spencer's Bedroom – Same Time.**

Walking into their shared room, Ashley found Spencer already sitting in bed against the headboard, knees drawn up and her psychology book open in her lap. Her attention, however, was split between the text in front of her and the cell phone at her ear.

"Yes, Mom, I went to class." The blonde glanced up and quirked a small smile as her girlfriend came in, easily returned by the brunette. "It was fine." Spencer rolled her eyes for Ashley to see as she listened to her mother, her gaze lingering only briefly as the other girl changed into her sleepwear. "Yeah, I miss you too…Mom…Mom! I have homework…Yes, I will. Promise…Uh huh…Okay, bye."

The phone was turned off and placed on the bedside table, and Spencer returned her full focus to her textbook. Choosing to not disturb the girl's reading quite yet, Ashley brought out her music notebook and took a similar position next to Spencer on the bed. She skimmed through the notes Madison had given her, rolling her eyes at the tedious changes the singer wanted.

It wasn't until her girlfriend dropped her textbook to the floor that Ashley spoke. "How were the Girl Scouts?"

Spencer glanced at the girl next to her at the term 'Girl Scouts' but let it slide. "It was a lot bigger than I thought it'd be. It was really cool seeing that many people there."

"Any hot girls?"

"_Maybe_."

The musician was unaffected by playfully spite-filled reply as she made a few marks on her sheet music. She didn't even spare a glance up from her notebook. "Good. Then you can feel them up and get me a free box of Thin Mints."

"Ashley."

The humor was gone and replaced by a note of frustration, causing the brunette to look over at her girlfriend. "What?"

"You really don't like me joining GSA, do you?"

Ashley's eyes fell back to her lap. After a moment of hesitation, she closed her notebook and shifted so that she more or less faced Spencer. All trace of flippancy had disappeared from her expression.

"You _do_ remember what happened to you junior year, right?"

"Between you and my mom, how could I forget?"

Ashley disregarded the remark. "I don't want you to get hurt again."

"Ash—"

"No, I get it," the older girl interrupted. "This is important to you. Just…don't expect me to like it."

With a ghost of a smile, Spencer took Ashley's hand and laced their fingers. "It's sweet that you worry. But this isn't high school."

"You're right, it's not. It's college, where there are more stupid people from more stupid places."

"I don't have to be in GSA to get hurt."

Defeated, Ashley dropped her gaze to the bed, lightly tracing a finger over the back of Spencer's hand. "…I know…"

The blonde watched her for a moment. "…hey, are you really going to be okay with this?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No," the blonde answered blithely. "I was just checking."

"Gee, thanks."

"Anytime."

When Spencer kissed the corner of her mouth, Ashley looked up, matching the girl's cheeky grin.

**ACT TWO.**

**Act 2:**

**UCLA Lecture Hall – Early Afternoon.**

The lecture room was fairly empty around Spencer as she stared at her laptop screen. Her psychology book was open next to it as she reviewed her chapter notes from the previous night. Gradually, other students trickled in and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of them sidle up to the desk next to her.

"I'm not stalking you, I swear."

Looking away from her laptop, Spencer lit up at the familiar face. "Hey, JJ!"

The boy's smile grew at the warm greeting. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah, it's almost like we're both students or something."

"It's a crazy world." He pointed to the empty desk. "So, do you mind if I sit?"

"No, go ahead."

At the blonde's invitation, Jackson slid into the chair. As he did, his eyes flickered over to the girl's laptop, where her screensaver picture was now bouncing lazily around. In the photo, a brunette was leaning her forehead against Spencer's temple, both looking as though they had been laughing when the picture was taken.

"I guess that answers my next question…"

Spencer followed his gaze, an unconscious smile forming when she saw the photo. "That's Ashley."

Jackson didn't miss her affectionate tone. "When did you guys meet?"

"Junior year." The blonde leaned back in her seat as she studied the picture. "She snapped at me, I spilled coffee on her…we've been next to inseparable ever since."

The boy shifted his attention to the girl next to him, catching the faraway glaze in her eyes. "Close, huh?"

"Ash is…" Spencer paused to find the right words. In the end, she simply shrugged. "…my best friend."

Jackson nodded in understanding. "I know that feeling. Mel and I are the same way."

"I guess that answers my next question. Not in GSA for the hot guys?" Spencer watched as a strange little smirk grew on her new friend's face. "What?"

"Mel is short for Melanie," he clarified. "My _girl_friend."

The blonde eyes widened. "Oh, god, I am…I'm so sorry. I just assumed you…" Giving up on her fumbled apology, she shook her head in embarrassment before looking over at him through a squinting gaze. "So…girlfriend, huh?"

"Well, it is called the 'Gay-_Straight_ Alliance.'" His light teasing succeeded in drawing a chuckle out of the flustered girl. "Why, too pretty to be true? Or am I giving off a vibe?"

"You know, I'm not the best person to ask," Spencer admitted. "My gaydar is pretty much defective. I'm actually thinking about throwing it out the window."

"Defective, huh? I bet the warranty is expired, too."

"Of course, so I don't think they'd let me trade it in at this point."

"You could try eBay."

"I may have to."

As the girl's blush began to die down, Jackson glanced back to her screensaver. "Well, now that my secret is out, so to speak, would you be offended if I said you two were hot together?"

"Of course not. That is the general consensus, after all." She flashed a playful smirk. "And your secret is safe with me…but um, if you don't mind me asking, why GSA?"

Jackson's manner grew more serious, his voice quieting. "My little sister came out to me this summer. She's kind of having troubles with it, and I'm the only one she's told. I thought if I joined one of the groups here, maybe I'd figure out how to help her deal, you know?"

Spencer's face softened. "That's really sweet of you."

With a bashful smile, Jackson dropped his gaze to his desk.

**Scene:**

**YMCA Center – Early Afternoon.**

As she was putting away some sports equipment that had been left out, Kyla caught sight of a familiar blonde-haired boy wandering into the gymnasium.

"Glen? What are you doing here?"

He shrugged carelessly as he looked around. "I always wondered what the basketball courts looked like here…Very nice. Roomy. Got a good shine to the floor." When Glen returned his attention to Kyla, he found the girl standing with her arms crossed and an eyebrow cocked up expectantly. He dropped his innocent expression. "All right, look, I don't have a place to stay."

"And?"

"And…I know you've taken in the homeless before…?"

Kyla shifted her weight to her other foot, not impressed. "That's your selling point?"

"I…I'm clean and quiet!" The brunette's incredulous stare caused him to backtrack. "Okay, that's a lie. Um, I…"

"Glen."

"Yeah?"

"You can stay with us."

A glint of hope replaced the desperation on Glen's face. "Seriously?"

"On one condition," Kyla clarified, holding up a finger. "You have to help out."

"Like clean and cook and stuff?"

"No." The girl didn't continue right away, obviously thinking it through a bit more. "Well, actually _yes_, but that's not what I mean. You have to volunteer here."

"Volunteer to do what?"

It was Kyla's turn to shrug. "If you're so _in awe_ of the courts here, you could coach the kids in basketball."

"Or I could play spotter to all the hot chicks in the weight room." At the girl's withering glare, Glen slumped his shoulders. "…or I could coach basketball…" he amended sheepishly.

Kyla nodded happily. "That's the spirit."

"So I can really stay with you guys?"

"Yes, you can really stay."

Glen folded his hands together in gratitude. "Thank you. You're my hero."

The brunette just rolled her eyes. "You're welcome. Now come on. Let's go get you a volunteer form."

"What, _now_?"

"Yes, now."

Spinning around, Kyla marched out of the gymnasium while Glen less enthusiastically followed. He paused when his phone chimed in his pocket. Taking it out, he flipped the device open to read his message.

_From: Chelsea_

_How r ur classes? I miss u 3_

As he stared at the screen, his thumb hovered between 'reply' and 'end.' Hearing Kyla call his name, Glen hesitated a second longer before pushing the red button and closing his phone.

**Scene:**

**Music Studio – Afternoon.**

Walking into the drawing room, Madison stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes landed on Ashley sitting at the sound console. Headphones covered the writer's ears as she listened to the demo track from the previous day's band audition. The music score was spread out in front of her.

"Okay, this was cute the first time, but now it's just sad."

Looking up from the board, Ashley pulled the headphones down around her neck as she acknowledged the other girl. "Funny, that's exactly what I thought when Ethan told me you were going to sing my songs."

"What even are you doing here, Ashley? You don't need to be here for this."

"I'm supporting you in your quest for stardom."

"Like I'd believe that."

"Fine." Ashley picked up her folder of revisions and unceremoniously tossed it onto the table in front of the singer. "I'm making sure you aren't butchering my music."

Madison waved the excuse off. "That is total crap, and you know it. Spencer's off doing the college thing, and you're sitting at home with nothing to do."

"Yes, I'm here because I like spending my free time with you." The writer removed the headphones from around her neck and set them down. "I finished your revisions, so I figured I might as well drop them off."

"Great!" Madison clapped with false cheer. "Then you can go sulk at home."

Ashley threw up her hands. "You know what? Fine. I'm meeting Kyla soon anyway."

"Do everyone a favor and find a hobby."

Madison took the folder in hand and went on about her business. As she picked up her things to leave, Ashley mumbled under her breath.

"I thought this _was_ my hobby."

**Scene:**

**UCLA Campus – Late Afternoon.**

"So, you want to make documentaries?" Jackson asked as he and Spencer walked out of the psychology building. "That's cool."

"Really? You don't think it's boring?"

"Are you kidding? With classics like _The History of Coca-Cola_ and…" He thought for a moment. "…_The Evolution of the Banana_?"

Spencer smiled uncertainly. "Not quite like that."

"Not yet," he corrected jokingly. "Give it time. You'll get there."

"I'll do my best." Spencer looked up at him. "What about you? Do you have a major in mind?"

The boy shrugged as they stopped at the sidewalk junction. "Not really. I think I'm just going to play it by ear for a while and see if anything strikes my fancy."

"Sounds like a plan."

Jackson drew back as though in horror. "A plan? No, not a plan! A plan is exactly what I'm avoiding."

His objection threatened to make Spencer laugh, but she managed to hold it in. "Right, sorry."

The two grinned widely at each other until a lilting female voice interrupted their exchange.

"The second day, and you're already picking up other impressionable freshmen girls?"

Appearing neither surprised nor worried, Jackson turned his head towards the fair-haired newcomer. "Now, to be fair, I think Spencer here would be more interested in you than me." The boy's eyes suddenly widened, and he looked frantically to his new friend. "Spencer, god, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

Understanding the source of his panic, Spencer shook her head to calm him. "No, no! It's fine, really. It's not exactly a secret."

While Jackson breathed a sigh of relief, the other blonde next to him put a hand on his chest. "Yep, that's my man. Outing everyone on campus." She looked over at Spencer. "Well, since JJ's obviously lost all sense of manners, I'm Melanie."

"Melanie, hi. I'm Spencer."

"I was getting to that!" Jackson protested.

"Sure you were," Melanie reassured with a patronizing pat to his cheek. Turning from Jackson, she put an arm around her boyfriend's companion. "So, Spencer, tell me about yourself. Namely, how you got mixed up with this trouble maker."

As she was led away, Spencer glanced back over her shoulder and met Jackson's gaze with a good-natured smile.

**Scene:**

**Café – Late Afternoon.**

Ashley glared up at her sister from her seat at the table, arms crossed. "You're late."

Conversely, Kyla looked at her watch in surprise. "You're _early_," she countered. "How long have you been here?"

"Only a half hour."

"Why?"

"Madison kicked me out of the studio."

"Again?"

Ashley simply shrugged. "Wouldn't be Madison if she didn't try to make my life hell one way or another."

"I think I know what you mean," Kyla mumbled as she sat down in the other chair.

The older Davies regarded her sister with an expression that suggested only mild interest. "Aiden?"

The shorter girl didn't answer right away, instead thumbing idly through her menu. When she finally spoke, she was oddly quiet.

"You know, I thought moving in with him would be great. I saw you and Spencer together, and I wanted that. But he's just…always _there_. You know? When I wake up, when I go to sleep, when I come home from work. All. The time."

Ashley nodded, a faraway glaze in her eyes and a tiny smile playing on her lips. "Yeah."

"Oh, right. I forgot you _like_ that with Spencer."

Bringing her attention back to her sister, Ashley nodded once again, this time with more genuine focus. "It's true, I do. But, Ky, you make it sound like Spencer moved in and everything was perfect. We had our rough spots—we still do—but we just…always manage to work it out somehow."

Kyla reached for one of the breadsticks her sister had ordered earlier, picking at it in frustration. "That's just it: I've tried 'working it out' with him, but nothing ever gets fixed. I don't know what to do."

"Have a kid," the musician offered flippantly. "Getting knocked up always helps."

"Speaking from experience?" the younger girl shot back.

Ashley blinked. "…touché."

Kyla gave a small triumphant laugh before deflating back to seriousness with a sigh. "Everything just feels so screwed up."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have gotten married."

If the younger Davies was bothered by her sister's cavalier manner, she didn't show it. "But it felt _right_, and I wanted to…I don't know…do something impulsive."

"Kyla, the last time you did something impulsive, I ended up having to sterilize the apartment to get the homeless smell out." The other girl had no response, so Ashley went on. "The way I see it, marriage is for people who hate themselves, their significant others, and…want to ruin each other's lives."

Kyla scoffed loudly. "I'm sure Spencer will be thrilled with _that_ glowing endorsement."

Ashley dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "Whatever. Don't change the subject."

"Don't _abuse_ the subject."

The retort was met with an eye roll. "You really want my advice?"

"Yes. Please."

"All right, here it is." Ashley leaned forward on her arms, and Kyla did the same. There was a dramatic beat of silence before the older Davies spoke again. "Figure out what you want to order because I'm starving."

As her sister sat back in her chair and casually sipped her water, Kyla stared blankly. Then, with a shake of her head, she picked up her menu.

**Scene:**

**Kyla and Aiden's Apartment – Early Evening.**

The sun was setting as Aiden made his way home. The windows of his old Mercedes were rolled down, fresh air breezing past him as he drove. Pulling into the apartment lot, Aiden found a familiar car parked in his usual spot. Already looking annoyed, he climbed out of the driver's side and grabbed his school and gym bags out of the back seat. He kicked the car door shut, eyes roving over the beat-up Pontiac as he walked past.

When he opened the door to the apartment, he was surprised to see a half dozen boxes and several bags scattered around the living room. He looked up at the person standing amongst them.

Glen gave a timid wave. "Heh. Hey, roomie."

Aiden didn't say a word as he stared at the blonde boy.

He did not look pleased.

**Scene:**

**Ashley and Spencer's Loft – Same Time.**

Coming through the loft door, Spencer stopped halfway into the living room when she noticed Ashley sitting on the edge of the sofa, eyes on the floor and a frown on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"You left early this morning."

Giving the girl a strange look, Spencer glanced over at the clock. "…and you've been sitting there moping ever since?"

The brunette cracked a tiny smile. "No, just since I heard you coming down the hall."

"Ah." Looking suitably contrite, the blonde dropped her backpack and sat down next to her girlfriend. "I know I did, I'm sorry. I wasn't quite sure where my first class was, so I wanted a little extra time in case I had trouble finding it. I didn't want to wake you."

"I don't like not seeing you in the morning."

"I didn't really like it, either." Spencer blew out a breath. "Okay, I promise next time I'll wake you up before I go."

"What if…what if we agree to always have breakfast together, no matter what we're doing or where we're going that day?" Before Spencer could react, Ashley winced at how pathetic she sounded, completely missing the blonde's tilted gaze and slowly-growing smile. "I know, I'm being needy agai—"

A mouth latched onto the brunette's, effectively cutting off her apology. Just as abruptly, Spencer pulled away, beaming at her dazed girlfriend.

"I think it's a great idea."

Once her brain caught up with her, Ashley looked up into blue eyes, a rare whisper of vulnerability showing through. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Spencer's confident nod and reassuring smile was all Ashley needed. She stole another kiss, lightly brushing their lips together before touching her forehead to the blonde's. For a moment, they simply sat there, eyes closed and content in their silent embrace.

Slowly, a smirk crept across Ashley's lips. "So, as long as we're agreeing on stuff we're going to do every day—"

Spencer grasped the brunette's chin before she could finish the thought, forcing their eyes to meet. "Don't push your luck."

Ashley's smirk only broadened, but Spencer put the matter to rest with a final firm kiss. Willingly, the older girl let it drop, and the two got up and went into the kitchen to fix dinner.

"How was class?"

"I think my gaydar's broken."

"When was it ever working?" Ashley wasn't fazed when her arm was swatted. "What? One of the 'straight' girl scouts drive you to make-out point?"

"No," Spencer grumbled. "I just made the wrong assumption about this guy I met at orientation yesterday. Turns out he's straight. And in my psychology class."

"And?"

"And…he thinks we're hot together."

The brunette gave a light laugh. "Yeah, he's got that right."

"I told him it was just you, full of all that hot air," Spencer continued calmly.

"Hey!"

The blonde smirked at her own success in teasing the girl. "_Anyway_, we met up with his girlfriend after class. They're both really sweet."

Ashley rubbed the girl's shoulder. "Aw, did you make new friends today?"

"I think I did. And I think you'd like them."

"Would I?"

"Yeah." Spencer watched her girlfriend from the corner of her vision while taking a few food items out of the pantry. "We should all hang out sometime."

Ashley's brow creased, and she regarded the blonde suspiciously. "You mean like a double date? I don't know, Spence, that sounds awfully coupley."

"And what are we?"

"A couple is different than a couple of couples. You know?"

"You'll survive." Shaking her head at Ashley's pout, Spencer changed the subject. "Speaking of couples, how is Mrs. Dennison?"

The brunette shrugged indifferently, pulling dishes out of the cupboard. "Oh, just your typical disgruntled housewife, all 'woe is me, I have to live with a boy,' blah, blah, blah."

"You could try to be a little more sympathetic. She is your sister, after all."

"_Half _sister," Ashley corrected, "and hell no. She's the one who ran off to Vegas to get hitched."

"Oh come on, Ash. You know what it's like to be young and in love."

The brunette almost appeared insulted by the comparison. "I haven't dragged you to some chapel in Vegas!"

Spencer was less than convinced by the musician's argument. "It wouldn't be legal if you did."

"That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

Ashley had to fumble for an answer, the question catching her off guard. "…exercise in…responsibility."

"You mean like running away from our family and friends and almost getting kidnapped and raped in the process?" the blonde wondered with an eyebrow raised knowingly.

"Ugh, that was so two years ago."

Spencer smiled. "Is that how it works?"

"Yes." Ashley moved closer to stand directly in front of the taller girl. "I happen to be much more mature now."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really." The brunette's hands came to rest on Spencer's hips, squeezing lightly. "Would you like me to show you?"

The blonde hummed lowly as Ashley kissed her softly. "Sure." One more kiss, and Spencer moved her lips to the brunette's ear. "You can start by finishing dinner."

A moan of a different origin answered her as Spencer withdrew. The expected complaint soon followed. "Not quite what I had in mind."

"You want to eat, don't you?" The older girl opened her mouth to reply, but Spencer cut her off, holding a finger up in warning. "_Not a word_."

Ashley only smirked as her girlfriend turned to leave the kitchen. Only when Spencer was out of sight did the brunette resume her task of putting together a meal for the two of them, smile fixed firmly in place.

**THE END.**


	3. Episode 402 Living Conditions

Getting Somewhere

Episode 402: Living Conditions

AN: Btw, there will be no videos. All the episodes will be written.

**TEASER. **

**Scene: **

_**UCLA Campus – Morning**_

The campus paths bustled with morning activity as students made their way to and from class. Some sat on the various stone benches, textbooks open as they rushed to finish a reading assignment they hadn't finished the previous night. Others walked unconcerned, headphones in place and music blaring in their ears. Leaning against the light pole just outside the mathematics building, Jackson waited patiently. His eyes were trained on a particular blonde coming up the walkway, and he lazily pushed off of the post when she neared.

"Hey, Spence. How was European Film?" the boy asked.

"It was…fascinating. Inspirational, even."

"Boring, huh?"

Spencer sighed, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Okay, so I wasn't really paying attention."

"A little early in the semester for that, isn't it?"

"It's not my fault." She pulled a slip of paper out of her back pocket. "I found this tucked into my notebook this morning."

Jackson unfolded the small note, finding neat cursive prose and a doodle of a flower within. He read the words out loud.

"'Spencer,

You are in every song I sing,

Every dream I dream.

Every thought I think.

Every breath I take.

Miss you!

Love, Ash'"

Jackson scoffed in disgust and handed the note back. "Ugh, what a bitch." Spencer laughed, and the boy continued. "Seriously, someone needs to talk to that girl. How dare she, distracting you from your classes with such filth."

The blonde carefully slid the note back into her pocket. "I suppose it's better than when she used to text me during class all junior year."

A ghost of a smirk crossed Jackson's lips. "Okay, but just be sure to tell me if she starts changing your laptop wallpaper to something _naughty_."

"JJ!"

"So I can scold her," he clarified innocently.

Spencer pointed a finger at him. "You better watch it, mister, or I'm going to tell Melanie how perverted her boyfriend is."

The boy easily dismissed it. "Eh, she already knows."

At that moment, a female voice called from across the lawn. "Hey, Jackson!"

The pair looked to see a familiar girl with long dark hair and green eyes making her way towards them.

"Hey, Sasha!" Jackson greeted in return. When the older girl caught up to them, he asked, "What are you up to?"

"Just making the rounds, you know." The brunette turned to Jackson's companion. "You're Spencer, right? I don't think we ever actually met before."

With the sophomore's attention suddenly on her, Spencer's cheeks flushed red. "Yeah, uh…no, we haven't." She gave an awkward little wave. "Hi."

Sasha just smiled kindly. "Hi back. So, listen, Alpha Delta Pi is throwing a party tonight to kick off the new semester and welcome the new pledges. Nothing too wild…not like the frat houses, anyway. Short notice, I know, but do you guys want to come?"

"Sure, I'm game," Jackson replied with a confident nod. "Gives me an excuse to put off that history assignment."

Spencer followed, sounding less sure. "Yeah, maybe."

Pulling a couple yellow flyers out of the folder she held, Sasha handed one to both acquaintances. "The address is on there. The more the merrier, so make sure you bring your girls."

"All right, see you around, Sasha," Jackson said, playfully bumping fists with her. As the sophomore headed off in a different direction, the boy scanned the flyer in his hand. "First party of our college careers. What do you think?"

Spencer regarded her own invitation. "I'll probably have to drag Ashley kicking and screaming, but at least you'd get to meet her."

"Does she really hate parties that much?"

"Yes, but she'll do almost anything I ask her to, so…"

"Crack that whip, Spencer," Jackson joked.

"Shut up," the blonde returned lamely. "Hey, how do you know Sasha?"

"She's my lab partner in Advanced Physics," the boy answered while stuffing the flyer into his book bag. "She's pretty chill. What about you?"

"She went to King High, so I saw her around school a couple times before she graduated."

"Really?"

The blonde nodded in affirmation. "Yeah. We never formally met, but my friend Aiden dated her for a little while last year."

Jackson was quiet for a moment, his brows scrunched together in thought. "Wait, I thought Aiden was dating Ashley's sister back then…"

"Uh…" Spencer cleared her throat. "Yeah…among others…" she murmured. The boy was ready to inquire, but she shook her head. "You know, that's actually a much longer story than we have time for right now, so…"

"Typical high school drama or worthy of Oprah?"

"I'd say more in between, like a soap opera."

"_The Young and the Restless_ or _All My Children_?"

The blonde's expression conveyed her confusion. "What's the difference?"

"Well, _The Young and the Restless _is more focused on the clash between…" Jackson trailed off, seeing the skeptical look Spencer was giving him. "...no idea."

The blonde smirked. "Uh huh."

Coughing, Jackson steered himself back on track. "At any rate, I have got to hear this story."

Spencer patted him on the shoulder. "Later. It's a little hard to follow the first time through, so…there might be diagrams involved."

His curiosity obviously peaked, Jackson opened the door to the math building, letting the blonde enter first.

**ACT ONE.**

**Scene: **

_**SMC Gymnasium — Morning**_

The pings of a bouncing basketball and the squeaking of shoes on hardwood rang throughout the gym. Ten young men—half in blue jerseys and the others in gold—mingled and battled for the ball, while the rest of the team sat watching from the sidelines.

A tall dark-haired boy in blue took the defensive against the gold team's center. He made a play for the ball but came up empty-handed as the other student feinted around him.

A missed shot and rebound later from the boys in gold, the same dark-haired player received a pass and took an open three-pointer. The ball hit the rim and bounced off, falling into the waiting hands of the opposing team. The gold point guard maneuvered his way across the court to score his own three-point shot.

A whistle sounded, calling both sides to a halt. After a few words to his team, the coach ended the practice, and the young men all headed to the locker room. Aiden was silent even as his teammates chatted animatedly around him. He avoided eye contact with any of his peers, keeping his head down as he changed out of his gym clothes.

Passing by Aiden on his way out of the locker room, Noah gave him a nudge. "Better start showing some moves out there. This ain't high school anymore, boyo. Get used to it."

Aiden's jaw clenched as he stuffed his gym bag more forcefully with his gear.

"Hey, Aiden, don't sweat it, " one of his other teammates called over. "Just an off day, right?"

"Right," the boy repeated, not sounding convinced. Slamming his locker, he grabbed his bags and walked out of the locker room.

**Scene: **

_**Kyla and Aiden's Apartment – Same Time**_

Eyes fixed on the small television sitting on top of the dresser, the newest resident of Kyla and Aiden's apartment reclined against the headboard of his bed. The bowl of cereal in his hands did not distract his attention from the yellow cartoon sponge on the color screen.

"GLEN!"

The boy jolted, almost spilling milk and Frosted Flakes all over himself. "What?"

Kyla appeared in his doorway, one hand on her hip and the other held out in front of her. "You got peanut butter on the couch."

A blonde brow scrunched together in confusion. "No I didn't."

Looking first at her fingers, which had traces of peanut butter smeared on their tips, the brunette turned her skeptical gaze back to her roommate. "Yeah, you did."

"Pretty sure I didn't."

"Then how did it get there?"

Glen held up his hands. "Hey, what you and Aiden do while I'm at class—"

"This isn't a joke, Glen. And it's not just this, either. I mean, what the heck is that?" she asked, pointing to the wet towel laying haphazardly in the middle of the bedroom floor.

"Um, a towel?"

"A wet towel."

Glen shrugged. "Yeah?"

"On the _carpet_."

"I was going to pick it up."

Kyla threw up her hands. "When? After the mold started spawning little baby molds? And don't even get me started on the whole walking around naked thing."

"That was one time!" he argued. "Chill out, Kyla, jeez."

"Boys..." the girl muttered. "As if Aiden wasn't bad enough."

Oblivious to the strange expression crossing her roommate's face, the petite brunette stalked away. After staring at the vacated doorway a moment longer, Glen turned back to the television and took a bite of his breakfast.

**Scene :**

_**UCLA Campus – Early Afternoon**_

Lounging on the verdant grasses of Dickson Plaza, Ashley bounced her foot in the air to a tuneless beat, her eyes closed against the midday sun. It wasn't long before a shadow fell across her.

"Comfy?" a familiar voice greeted.

The brunette cracked an eye open to squint up at Spencer's bright smile. "Not yet." Grabbing the nearest hand, she tugged the blonde down next to her. "Now I am." After a brief kiss, Ashley nodded her head towards the small cooler sitting close by. "I brought sandwiches."

"You're such a homemaker, Ash."

The brunette shrugged the teasing smile off. "I've been called worse."

Sitting up, Spencer pulled the cooler over and started rummaging through its contents. "BLT and cut diagonally? Fancy."

"I know," Ashley agreed dramatically. "I slaved for hours upon hours…watching your mother make them."

The younger girl looked up at her companion in confusion. "My mother?"

"She says hi, by the way," the brunette remarked casually as she set the two sandwiches on a plate between them.

"You saw my mom…"

Ashley gestured absently with her hand and pulled out the two bottles of water next. "Yeah, she stopped by earlier, and I can't fry bacon to save my already decrepit soul, so she did the mom thing and took over before I burned the loft down."

Several seconds ticked by.

"Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Why was my mother at the loft this morning?"

The older girl chuckled at the worry in the blonde's tone. "She just wanted to check in. Make sure you were going to class, that I was still _properly_ providing for you, that we hadn't erected any Pagan altars…you know, the usual."

Spencer dropped her gaze to her sandwich. "…sounds like I should put in some mother-daughter time."

"Sounds like one more thing I'll have to compete with," Ashley mimicked with a melancholy nod.

"You know there's no contest when it comes to you."

"Except for your mom, your classes, and your swanky new college friends."

Spencer opened her mouth but closed it without speaking, and Ashley merely watched as the other girl fiddled with the lettuce sticking out of her sandwich.

Finally, the brunette gave a verbal prod. "What?"

"What?" Spencer echoed unthinkingly.

"You're biting your lip."

"And?"

"And that means there's something you want to talk about, but you're afraid to bring it up," the brunette stated knowingly. "What is it?"

Spencer studied her girlfriend's face, the gears in her head obviously turning. Giving up, the blonde sighed. "…okay, so there's this party tonight that JJ and I were invited to, and I was thinking we could go."

Ashley shrugged carelessly. "You don't need my permission."

"You-and-me we."

"Oh. _That _we." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "…this isn't a cheerleading thing, is it?"

"No."

"Girl Scouts?"

"No!" the blonde repeated more vehemently. "Look, Sasha's sorority is throwing a party for the new pledges, and—"

"Wait, Sasha?" Ashley interrupted. "As in, Miller? The Psycho _Killer_?"

"She's a _psych_. student, Ash, not a psycho."

"Not seeing the difference."

Spencer shook her head in defeat. "The point is, she asked me to come."

Unable to help herself, Ashley smirked. "Like a date?"

"The date would be with you, doofus. This thing Sasha invited me to is just a…gathering. A…a meeting of—"

"Lips?" the brunette offered glibly.

"_Minds_," Spencer corrected sternly. "Friends. Friends of friends. And what is it with you thinking every other girl I spend time with is a date?"

"Because that's usually what it ends up being." Ashley ticked off her fingers as she recounted past names. "Griffith Park. Bangs. _Fred_. And now The Killer."

"Well, then I guess you better come along to shield me from her _serial_ advances."

Ashley's grin slowly faded as her teasing subsided. "Spence…I'm not going to know anyone there."

"You won't not know anyone there," Spencer assured her, squeezing her hand. "You'll know JJ and Melanie…just not, you know…in the sense of having already met them..."

"Is that supposed to be comforting?"

"Come on! You have to meet them eventually, and since you weren't too fond of the double date idea…"

"You decided a party full of drunken undergrads would be an appropriate solution?" the brunette finished disbelievingly.

"You're the one who said we should go out more often," the blonde reasoned.

"Yeah, _you-and-me _we," Ashley parroted. "Not you, me, and half the UCLA underclassmen."

Spencer regarded the older girl with an enduring stare, causing Ashley to lift her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. You're right about the whole 'going out thing.'" She forced a grin. "I'm sure it'll be fun."

**Scene:**

_**Kyla and Aiden's Apartment – Mid-afternoon**_

"Are you kidding? This is going to suck!"

Perched on different pieces of furniture in the living room, Kyla and Glen exchanged a bemused glance as the other girl paced between them.

The boy waved off her distress. "Calm down, Ashley, jeez. You're practically hyperventilating."

"Why are you so worked up over this?" Kyla wondered. "It's not like it's a formal dance."

Ashley halted her pacing and plopped down on the end of the couch opposite her sister. "Formal or not, I don't do social 'gatherings,' and…why does it smell like peanut butter?" While the other brunette threw an accusing frown at Glen, Ashley shook it off and continued her previous line of thought. "Look, the point is, me and parties just don't go together. Like oil and water, or…" she pulled a face, "Britney and Christina."

Kyla shared in her sister's look of disdain. "Or Britney and rehab."

"Britney and a head full of shaving cream."

"Britney and –"

"Okay!" Glen interrupted. "We get it. You hate parties. You know, for a girl who loves attention, you're pretty anti-social."

"I'm not anti-social!" Ashley claimed hotly. "I just…don't think I'd fit in with all the college people."

Glen shrugged. "You get along fine with me, don't you?"

"Despite how you barely qualify as a college student, you're Spencer's brother. I don't have to pretend to like you to make her happy."

"Does this mean I can start kicking you out of here?"

"No," both girls answered. While the boy pouted, Kyla turned back to her sister. "You'll go, you'll mingle, you'll have an appreciative girlfriend…you'll be fine."

Ashley's eyes widened. "You're not coming?"

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"Marital obligation thing," Kyla explained offhandedly. "Aiden's ex invited you guys."

"Riiiight," Ashley drawled before looking to Glen. "What about you, 'college boy'? Going to crash as usual?"

The boy donned a dreamy expression. "A party with hot sorority chicks…hard to turn down." Ignoring the twin eye rolls from the two girls, he shrugged. "Nah, not this time. I'm just so dead right now. My classes are killing me."

"I'll be sure to tweet my disappointment," Ashley replied dryly.

"Shouldn't you be off somewhere macking on my sister?"

"Shouldn't you be in the dorms instead of mooching off mine?" she retorted easily.

The two glared at each other, but their underlying smirks belied their good humor. Interrupting their play, the front door opened and then slammed loudly. Aiden stalked into the living room, pausing only briefly when he realized he wasn't alone in the apartment. Without a word, he continued on to the bedroom.

Kyla's shoulders drooped a fraction. "How was practice?" she called after him.

"Fine," came the gruff response.

The slump in the girl's shoulders became more pronounced. Ashley gave her a look of only mild sympathy before pointing towards the door.

"I'm going to head out. Apparently, I have some macking to catch up on," she emphasized, throwing one last smirk in Glen's direction.

As Ashley left, Aiden reemerged from the bedroom and walked into the kitchen. Kyla stood from her seat and followed him in, watching as he took a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

Cautiously, she broke the silence. "Is something wrong?"

"Bad morning," he answered simply, taking a drink of his water.

"I'm sorry." She rubbed his arm. "What happened?"

"Doesn't matter."

Kyla chewed on her lip. "Well…hey, at least you don't have class tomorrow, right? How about we have a movie night? We can relax, get in some quality chick flicks I know you like but won't admit, and we can sleep in tomorrow." She flashed a hopeful grin. "What do you say?"

A smile, though small, crossed Aiden's face. "Yeah. That sounds good."

From the kitchen doorway, Glen happily chimed in. "Great! I'll bring the popcorn!"

The identical expressions worn by husband and wife suggested something less than amusement.

**Scene: **

_**UCLA Campus – Late Afternoon **_

"I'm never going to make it through World Lit," Jackson groaned as he, Melanie, and Spencer made their way out of their liberal arts building.

"It might not be as bad as you think," Spencer offered.

Her optimism was not quite reassuring to the young man. "A ten-page term paper on the use of color in _Crime and Punishment_? _Single_-spaced? It's punishment all right, but what was our crime?"

Melanie nodded in agreement. "I get a headache just from trying to pronounce their names. How many v's and y's do they need?"

Spencer shrugged, turning onto the main sidewalk. "At least we have eight weeks to do it."

"Six," Jackson corrected. "We have _six_ weeks until the first draft is due. _Three_ until we're supposed to be all the way through the book."

"I guess I know what our new _late night activities _are going to be," the other blonde teased.

"Using Crime and Punishment as your lame excuse instead of _Harry Potter_?" Jackson easily threw back.

With a sound of disgust, Melanie backhanded the boy's arm. "Jerk! Better _Harry Potter _than Warcraft."

"Hey, don't hate the 'craft."

Grinning to herself as her friends bickered, Spencer pulled her keys out of her purse. Pushing the unlock button on the miniature remote, she made the lights flash on a sleek sports car of a deep emerald color.

Jackson stopped dead in his tracks. "Whoa."

Spencer looked over at him. "What?" She followed his gaze "Oh. Yeah…"

"_This_ is your car?"

"Uh huh."

The boy's mouth hung open in disbelief, and Melanie gave him a nudge. "Honey? You're drooling."

Eventually, a few shocked words tumbled out. "How? What? How?"

Spencer shrugged nonchalantly. "A present from Ashley."

Jackson's eyes widened even more. "Your girlfriend bought you a car?"

"Well, it's certainly more practical than an engagement ring," Melanie reasoned, causing the other blonde to flush with an embarrassed grin. As an afterthought, she leaned closer to her boyfriend. "…I want the ring."

Still focused on the sports car before him, Jackson disregarded Melanie's comment. "Okay, scratch that. Your girlfriend bought you _this_ car?"

The filmmaker regarded the vehicle in question. "She told me to pick one. So I did."

"A 2006 Maserati Quattroporte?"

"Um…sure."

"Six cylinder or eight?"

"You'd have to ask Ashley."

"What's her top speed?"

"Um…fast?"

"Do you know what kind of mileage she gets?"

"I'm not sure."

"…what do you know?"

"Driving manual is not as easy as it looks." At Jackson's blank stare, Spencer blushed faintly. "I…may have…picked the pretty green one." She shrugged as she looked over at the Maserati. "Ash tried to get me to go with a new model, but I really liked the color on this one. Besides, the newer ones are, like, a hundred thousand dollars, and I felt bad enough letting her pay sixty."

Jackson's eyes seemed to bulge even more as he gaped at the blonde. "...I think I made friends with the wrong lesbian."

Gasping, Spencer feigned injury. "I'm not interesting enough for you anymore?"

"That depends. What kind of car does _Ashley_ drive?"

Spencer almost answered, then hesitated. "…tell you what: you can ask her tonight since she'll have more fun telling you than I will." She bounced happily. "I'm so glad you guys will finally get to meet her! I can't guarantee she'll buy you a car, but I think you'll like her anyway."

Melanie matched the other blonde's enthusiasm. "Yeah, we're looking forward to it."

With a quick glance to her car, Spencer was struck with a thought. "Hey, do you guys want a ride home?"

Jackson perked up. "Hell yeah! I mean, what do you think, Mel?"

She smiled knowingly. "Sure, Spencer. Thanks." While her boyfriend tried to hide his excitement, she winked at the other girl. "So, JJ, if I was laying stark naked on the hood of this car, which would you rather take for a test drive?"

"The c—" Jackson cut his answer and redirected the hand that had started to point at the car. "…_neither_." Met with a raised eyebrow, the boy rushed to cover his tracks. "Not only because I wouldn't choose a car over you, but because I would never equate…physical intimacy with driving a car."

Melanie patted Jackson on the cheek. "Nice try."

The boy shrugged it off and opened the front passenger door. "Whatever. You can sit in the back, then."

Spencer covered her laugh while Melanie's jaw fell open. Shaking her head, the girlfriend climbing into the back seat.

**Scene: **

_**Ashley and Spencer's Loft – Early Evening **_

Alone in their shared bedroom and clad only in a black bra and panties, Ashley laid out an assortment of shirts, blouses, tanks, shorts, and skirts on the bed. The sound of the shower in the adjoining bathroom could be heard through the closed door. Humming to herself, the brunette held up different articles of clothing, appraising their mix-and-match qualities. Her humming turned to quiet singing, and she made no sign of hearing the shower shut off. When she found what looked to be a suitable combination, she began singing the ballad melody louder, not seeing Spencer—hair wet and body towel-wrapped—stop in the bathroom doorway.

"…_and will that love be strong when old feelings start to stir? Looks like we made it. Left each other on the way to another love. Loo_—" Abruptly noticing her girlfriend leaning against the doorframe, eyebrow quirked up, Ashley awkwardly switched to a more rhythmic cadence of lyrics mid-note. "—_ose yourself in the music, the moment, you own it. You better never let it go, go._"

Spencer just stared at her, unconvinced. "…Barry Manilow?"

The brunette slumped in shame. "…you weren't supposed to hear that…"

"And yet you don't like Kelly Clarkson."

"It was on the radio earlier," Ashley defended. "Got stuck in my head."

"Uh huh."

"It did!"

The blonde nodded as though to appease her. "And just how long were you listening to good ol' Barry before switching stations?"

Faltering, Ashley changed the subject. "…hey, isn't there a party you're supposed to be dragging me to? Not that I don't love seeing you in nothing but a towel, but I'd rather keep that just between us."

"Fine," Spencer relented. "But if I catch you singing Copacabana, I might suggest you take up therapy again."

As the blonde disappeared into the bathroom and switched on her blow drier, Ashley turned back to her wardrobe choices, again murmuring softly to herself.

"_Her name was Lola. She was a_—" Realizing what she was doing, Ashley violently shook her head. "Oh, son of a—!"

She dropped her head into her hands with a groan.

**Scene: **

_**Kyla and Aiden's Apartment – Early Evening**_

Coming into the living room, Glen saw Kyla and Aiden talking near the front door, the latter holding his car keys. He rubbed his hands together. "So what are we watching?"

The petite brunette slipped her jacket on. "We're going to rent P.S. I Love You."

The blonde boy pulled a face. "Aw, come on! A chick flick? No way. I am not watching that."

"Good, then you can leave," Aiden muttered.

Kyla took a different approach. "Do you have a better suggestion?"

"How about the new Resident Evil?"

"Your suggestion for a relaxing night in is watching people hacking zombies to pieces?" the girl wondered incredulously.

"Who said anything about relaxing?"

Aiden pointed to Kyla. "We did. We're watching P.S."

Glen crossed his arms. "No, we're not. It's stupid."

"More stupid than zombies?"

"Yes!" Glen exclaimed. "Aiden, you're a guy. Quit with the PMS and start acting like one."

"You know what, Glen—"

Kyla cut him off, placing a hand on his arm. "Aiden." When her husband relented, she turned to their roommate. "Okay, why don't you want to watch it, and don't tell me it's because it's a chick flick." The blonde slouched as he mumbled an answer. "What?"

"Because it makes me miss Chelsea," he said more clearly.

Kyla's expression softened. "Glen…"

Aiden was less sympathetic. "So? Get over it."

"Hey, you guys have each other," Glen reminded, gesturing between the two of them. "All I have is my porn collection and an old box of condoms."

The girl's face scrunched up. "That's…an image I didn't need."

"I don't care," Aiden stated firmly. "We already decided on the movie."

Glen scoffed. "God, don't be such a girl."

Their bickering quickly descended into shouting, their clashing protests becoming garbled. Kyla pinched the bridge of her nose as the argument escalated, finally clapping her hands loudly to get the two men's attention.

"Okay, fine! Glen, just pick something and shut up, all right?"

While the blonde pumped his fist triumphantly, Kyla mouthed an apology to her husband, though it did little to erase his scowl.

"Hello, Resident Evil." Dropping himself onto the sofa, Glen propped his feet up onto the coffee table. "So you guys will go pick that up, right?"

**ACT TWO.**

**Scene: **

_**Ashley and Spencer's Loft – Same Time**_

Walking into the bedroom to find a fully-dressed Spencer, Ashley gave the sapphire top and white skirt an appreciative eye. "Hey there, sexy."

The blonde turned from the mirror she was standing in front of to see her girlfriend in a jean skirt and black halter. "Hey, yourself."

Taking Spencer by the hips, Ashley pulled her into a lingering kiss. She slid her hands into the blonde's freshly-straightened hair as she deepened their connection, then let out a whimper when they broke apart.

"Are you sure we can't just stay here?"

Promptly, they heard a knock at the loft door.

"Pretty sure." Spencer watched as worry creased Ashley's features. "You nervous?"

"A little." With a fond smile, the blonde held out her hand, but the brunette merely gave it a skeptical glance. "You know, that's what started this whole thing in the first place."

Seeing the blonde's patented patient stare, Ashley sighed and took the proffered hand, letting herself be led to the front door. With a look of reassurance to her girlfriend, Spencer opened the door and beckoned her friends inside.

"Hope we're not too early," Jackson greeted.

"No, perfect timing," Spencer told him, giving him a quick hug. She then gave her girlfriend's arm a light squeeze. "Ash, this is Jackson and Melanie. Guys, this is Ashley."

"Ashley," Jackson nodded, offering his hand, and the girl accompanying him followed suit.

As the trio shook hands, Spencer gestured over her shoulder. "You guys talk for a minute. I'm going to go grab my purse."

As the blonde left the room, there was an awkward pause until Ashley finally looked to Jackson. "So, you're the new…" She trailed off, confused. "What's the male equivalent of gal pal?"

Giving the question serious thought, the young man's face scrunched in concentration. "Um…boy toy? Wait, no, that doesn't sound good. Um…shy guy? Mellow fellow? _Scrappy chappie_?"

Ashley chuckled. "Yeah, that must be it."

"Yep, he's scrappy all right," Melanie agreed lovingly. "Well, Ashley, Spencer has spoken _glowingly_ of you many a time, so it's good to finally meet you."

"Same here," the brunette returned, pushing aside her discomfort. "I was starting to think you were both imaginary."

Jackson waved it off. "Nah. Imaginary friends would be much cooler than we are. They'd be, like…astronauts or sex toy designers or something."

The sound of Ashley and Jackson's laughter drew Spencer back into the living room and she smiled at the sight. She looked to Melanie for explanation, but the other blonde just rolled her eyes.

"Don't ask."

Nevertheless appearing satisfied, the filmmaker turned to her other friend and girlfriend. "You two seem to be getting along all right."

Jackson shrugged and sent a sideways glance to Ashley. "We were just marveling at our shared good taste."

The brunette mirrored his smirk. "Looks like we both have a thing for feisty blue-eyed blondes."

"I'm feisty now?" Spencer wondered.

Ashley's only answer was a pointedly impish stare, eliciting a bashful grin. The brunette then gestured to the blonde's purse. "So, did you have to sew it together yourself or something?"

"No, I had to pee," the younger girl murmured. Raising her voice back to normal, she gestured towards the door. "Shall we?" As Jackson and Melanie headed that direction, Spencer noted her girlfriend wasn't following, instead looking rather uncertain. "Ash?"

The brunette sighed in defeat. "…I'll be right back."

This time, it was Spencer's turn to laugh.

**Scene:**

_**Alpha Delta Pi House – A While Later**_

The sorority house was already swarming with undergrads by the time the foursome arrived. The first thing they noticed were the strings of mini blue and yellow LED lights framing windows and doors, trailing up the stair banister, and circling the ceiling.

"Oh, wow," Spencer breathed in wonder. "It's like a Bruins Christmas."

In contrast, Ashley looked around with a grimace. "I know, it's horrible, isn't it?"

The blonde gave her girlfriend's arm a light slap while Jackson and Melanie just chuckled. Spencer took Ashley's hand, and the four ventured deeper into the house. The stereo system was playing recent pop hits at a reasonable decibel, and the makeshift food and beverage bars were clean, conveniently placed, and fully stocked.

A while later, they each had something to drink and were mingling with some of the familiar faces they ran into. It wasn't long before Sasha found them.

"Hey, you guys came! Enjoying the party?"

Jackson clinked his beer bottle against hers in greeting. "Can't complain yet. Nice digs you got here."

"Yeah, try sharing it with thirty other hormonal girls." Sasha said, only half-kidding. "Hey, if you're interested, we're getting set up for a beer pong tournament but, contrary to what any of the guys may tell you, it's _not strip_ pong. JJ? Melanie?"

"I'm driving the girls home later, so probably not the best idea," Jackson reasoned.

Melanie shrugged in disinterest. "I'm more of a cocktail kind of girl."

Sasha looked to the other couple, but Ashley just snorted at the very idea of playing beer pong. "What about you, Spencer? Up for some pong? Or there might be some Jack Daniels Jenga upstairs…"

The blonde in question promptly blushed, just as she had earlier that day. "Oh, um…alcohol and I have a rocky history. Add in an attempt at hand-eye coordination, and there'd be wood and balls flying all over the place."

"That's what she said," both Ashley and Jackson murmured. Looking at each other in surprise, the boy added, "Spooky."

Spencer flushed an even deeper red, and Sasha grinned. "Sounds like half the sorority's social life."

While Jackson and Melanie shared a laugh with their older counterpart, Ashley watched Spencer with a growing look of amusement.

"Fair enough," Sasha yielded. "Well, the games are usually just as much fun to watch, so check back by the kitchen in fifteen or so."

Not quite meeting the girl's gaze directly, the filmmaker tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Okay. Thanks, Sasha."

As the sophomore left to mingle with another group of party-goers, Ashley rested an elbow on her girlfriend's shoulder and sighed wistfully. "Isn't Sasha ever so dreamy?"

Spencer's eyes widened, and she looked at her in alarm. "What?"

"Not a date, my ass. I think someone has a little crush on someone."

The blonde frowned. "No I don't."

"Oh, come on. The blushing? The nervous fidget? The avoiding eye contact?" Ashley chuckled. "You totally think she's _foxy_."

"Shut up, I do not!"

"I think it's adorable."

"Will you just—"

"And kind of hot," the brunette added, casually smoothing out her halter.

Spencer's protest died on her tongue, and her eyes twinkled mischievously. She coyly looked down at her shoes. "So…beer pong, huh? …What do you want to do 'til then?"

Looking up from her outfit, Ashley did a double take at the suggestive smirk planted firmly on the blonde's face. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Are you serious?"

She was met with an eye roll. "You're so easy, Ash."

"Oh, now you complain. Tease."

"That's what you get."

"Vindictive little minx, aren't you?"

The blonde threw another smirk over her shoulder as she began to walk away. "…I'm going to the bathroom."

Ashley could only stare slack-jawed, barely registering when Melanie said she would go as well. Once recovered, the brunette huffed with unconvincing ire. "See what I have to live with? Told you she was feisty."

Jackson hummed thoughtfully. "Must be tough." He studied the girl as she watched her girlfriend disappear into the crowd. "So you're really not threatened by Sasha even just a little bit?"

Ashley scoffed. "The Killer? Please. I know Spencer; it's completely innocent. Besides, I'd kick Miller's ass if she ever came near Spence like that, and they both know it." After a beat, she continued with, "Doesn't mean I'm not going to tease her about it."

The boy smiled. "You guys are cute together."

"I know."

"And that girl is crazy about you. I could hear it in her voice the very first time she mentioned you. And every time after that."

"It was hard-earned, believe me."

"Makes it all the better, doesn't it?" he asked rhetorically.

"It really does," Ashley agreed with a wistful nod. "And it's very much mutual."

A few moments of comfortable silence passed. "So…the Maserati…"

Ashley chuckled knowingly. "Remind me to show you the Porsche sometime."

Jackson's eyes glazed over.

**Scene: **

_**Kyla and Aiden's Apartment – Night**_

As Kyla and Aiden reentered the apartment and shrugged off their jackets, Glen emerged from the kitchen with a large bowl of fresh popcorn cradled in his arm.

"Finally," he breathed dramatically.

Aiden held out the Blockbuster bag for the boy to take with his free hand. "You owe me seven bucks."

"What? Why?"

"Because you're the one who insisted we watch Resident Evil."

Glen held out the bowl he held in protest. "But…I made you guys dinner!"

Kyla rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "You pushed the popcorn button on the microwave."

"There's a popcorn button?!"

With an exasperated groan, the brunette snatched away the popcorn bowl and followed her husband to the sofa. Glen put the movie in, eagerly returning to his chair and grabbing the remote to skip past the previews. As the opening credits began to play, Aiden relaxed into the sofa, his wife cuddled up against his side.

After a short pause, "Why does it smell like peanut butter?"

Kyla sighed in defeat. "Don't ask."

Nothing more was said, and the three settled in to watching the movie.

A while later, a muffled ringtone cut through into a suspenseful silence, making Kyla jump. Both she and Aiden looked to Glen, but the blonde simply slouched in his chair with a grimace, making no move to answer his phone or even check the ID screen. The husband and wife attempted to return their attention to the movie as the ringer repeated. Aiden's fists clenched on the third repetition, and he inhaled deeply on the fourth. Finally, the phone grew quiet. The dark-haired boy began to relax, only to tense up again when the voicemail chime sounded.

As though to forget the indiscretion, Glen leaned forward to grab a bag of chips laying on the coffee table. Noisily, he ripped open the foil packaging and crunched loudly on the handful he pulled out. Grinding his teeth, Aiden took a calming breath and held out his hand toward his roommate.

"Pass them over."

Eyes fixed on the television, Glen distractedly extended the bag, inadvertently bypassing his friend's hand. The bag slipped from his fingers and tumbled onto the couch's armrest, spilling chips over Aiden and Kyla.

"Glen!" the dark-haired boy exclaimed angrily. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Oh," the blonde cringed. "Sorry."

"That's it? Sorry?"

"It's just some chips, Aiden."

Shrugging his wife's hand off his arm, Aiden gestured wildly as he stood. "God, I didn't even want you here in the first place! And now I can't even enjoy one night alone with Kyla without you butting in and ruining it!"

"Fine, I'll pay you the seven dollars. You don't have to cry about it."

"That's not—!" Instead of finishing, Aiden clenched his jaw and made for the front door.

"Aiden," Kyla called after him. "Aiden, come on!"

The sound of a slamming door answered her.

Arms crossed and body slumped in his seat, Glen scoffed. "Jeez, what a baby."

The brunette just stared at him, not knowing what to say.

**Scene: **

_**Alpha Delta Pi House – Night**_

With refreshed drink in hand, Melanie wove her way through the throng of classmates to where Jackson and Ashley were conversing. "Spencer not back yet?"

"No," the boy answered. "Did she fall into the toilet or something?"

Ashley's brows drew close together. "…she wasn't actually waiting for me, was she?"

Melanie responded with an apologetic, if amused, shake of her head. "Sorry, tiger. She left before me."

"Maybe she's 'chatting it up' with Sasha in a dark corner somewhere," Jackson suggested, lightly prodding the brunette with his elbow.

The corner of Ashley's mouth twitched upwards, but her attention was focused more on locating her girlfriend. "I'm going to go find her."

Tracking the blonde down proved a rather simple task. Ashley soon caught sight of Spencer near the stair banister talking to a male student Ashley didn't recognize. After a few moments of hesitation, the brunette sidled over to her girlfriend. The conversation seemed to come to an abrupt halt when both students took notice of her approach. Spencer greeted her with a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. Without ceremony or introduction, the male student excused himself with quiet word and a curt nod.

"Hey, I was just wondering where you ran off to…" Ashley explained warmly. She then gestured toward the departing classmate. "That was a hasty retreat."

"Gavin is…he's in my documentary class." At the brunette's gentle but probing gaze, Spencer elaborated with measured reluctance. "He's…been kind of a jerk."

"Because your girlfriend is hotter than his?" the brunette guessed glibly.

"I wish that's all it was."

Seeing Spencer's downcast expression, Ashley dropped her smirk and scanned the room. "All right, where'd he go?"

"Why?"

"I'm going to kick his ass."

Clearly expecting her girlfriend's reaction, the blonde put a firm hand on the brunette's arm. "How about you dance with me instead?"

Ashley looked into pleading blue eyes, and her face softened. "…okay. But if he upsets you again, I'm going to...kick him in the shins and steal his lunch money."

Spencer cracked a smile. "Deal."

The two backtracked through the house, reuniting with their companions close to the informal dance space.

"Spence! We thought we lost you," Melanie greeted.

"I was just talking to a guy in my doc. class." Looking over her shoulder, Spencer noticed Ashley looking out across the room, brow creased. "Ash, I'm fine."

"I didn't say anything."

"No, but I know that look," the blonde countered. "Let it go and dance with me."

In surrender, Ashley curled her fingers around Spencer's belt and pulled the girl closer, kissing her cheek. Both were oblivious to the glare of an unfamiliar student nearby.

"Fine," the brunette mumbled. "But only because I love you."

"I can live with that."

The two couples merged into the gyrating throng of undergrads, succumbing to the music's rhythm. The stony gaze of the male guest returned, and it was less than a minute before he finally spoke up.

"Do you two mind taking the freak show somewhere else?"

Stopping cold, Spencer turned toward the boy, her face contorted in hurt. "_What_?"

"Some of us would like to enjoy the party without you and your little girlfriend making a scene," the boy reiterated.

Several of the surrounding party-goers turned their heads at the comment. Cheeks burning, the blonde looked down when she felt her girlfriend's fingers brush over her wrist.

"'Making a scene'? " Ashley echoed incredulously. "We're not the ones mounting everything vaguely female in sight."

"Better than two dykes getting down and dirty like they own the place."

"Hey, watch your mouth," Jackson warned, taking a step between the party guest and the girls. The movement of the dancing crowd slowed as more students took notice of the confrontation.

"Was I talking to you?" the other student snapped.

"No, but you will be. Now lay off. They were invited the same as you and me."

"You like it, don't you? Do they let you watch? Or maybe the two of them like a little dick after a—"

The crack of fist against jaw punctuated the crude insinuation. The student staggered back, and several of his friends took hold of him—both to steady him and to prevent his retaliation. One of the senior sorority sisters promptly directed a couple of her male guests to escort Jackson out of the house, to which he relented without protest.

Ashley gaped speechlessly at his retreating form.

With a light prod from Spencer, the brunette followed her and Melanie outside to the front lawn where Jackson waited patiently.

"You didn't have to do that…" Spencer told him quietly.

The boy pinned her with an intense stare. "Yeah, I did."

Not finding the words to thank him, the blonde instead wrapped her arms around him in a sisterly hug.

"You're welcome," Jackson returned. "So…have I proven my manliness for the night?"

"Absolutely."

"Good." His firm expression crumpling with a whimper, Jackson turned to his girlfriend, cradling his hand. "Ow."

"Very gallant, JJ," Melanie remarked, first kissing his knuckles and then running her thumb over them. "_Stupid_, but gallant."

"Hey, no one talks to my girls like that."

Finally finding her voice, Ashley gave an approving nod. "And scrappy it is."

Jackson gave a lopsided grin. "And don't you forget it."

Hearing a commotion at the front door behind them, the group looked over to see the troublesome student being herded out of the house by the same pair of guys who had escorted Jackson out. While two of her fellow sorority sisters berated the boy for his behavior, Sasha made her way over to the foursome on the lawn.

"Is everyone _okay_?"

"More or less," Jackson answered uncertainly. "Sorry I punched one of your guests."

"From what I hear, he deserved it," Sasha reassured, eyes flickering over to Spencer and Ashley. "That's not the first time Roy has caused problems at one of our house parties. Not sure who keeps letting him back in…" She shook her head. "Look, you guys don't have to leave. It sounds like Sarah only saw you hit Roy and didn't know what it was about when she kicked you out."

Jackson hesitated, looking to Spencer as though for confirmation. "Thanks, but…"

"I think I'm all partied out," the blonde answered.

Sasha nodded in understanding. "All right. You'll have to come back for the Halloween party," the girl offered. "We team up with one of the frat houses, and those guys go all out."

Jackson gave a half grin. "We'll keep it in mind."

"I am sorry about tonight," the older girl added to Spencer.

"It wasn't your fault."

Again, Sasha nodded. "I guess I'll see you around."

After trading goodbyes, the sophomore returned to the house.

"What do you say we head home?" Jackson suggested.

As the group made their way to his car, Ashley let Spencer and Melanie walk ahead of her while she fell into step beside Jackson. Catching his eye, she mouthed a silent 'thank you.' He answered with an acknowledging dip of his head.

**Scene: **

_**Kyla and Aiden's Apartment – Same Time**_

"I'm not going to apologize to him!" Glen insisted, causing Kyla to rub her temples. "I don't even get what his problem is."

"It's not just him," the girl explained tiredly. "You just…have to give us some space sometimes. Things have been tense anyway, and you're really not helping."

"…have I really been that bad?"

"Glen, I'm not going to lie to you."

When the brunette neglected to add anything further, the boy waved his hand to prompt her. "And…?"

"Oh, no, that was it." At his puzzled expression, she explained. "See, the not talking takes care of the not lying, so…"

The boy slumped. "So, I really am that bad."

Again, Kyla neither confirmed nor denied the sentiment. "If you miss Chelsea, then why are you avoiding her calls?"

"It's…hard. When she was here, it was great. I'd never been happier. But when she left…not being able to see her…I thought I could do the long distance thing, but now I'm not so sure. I feel like a complete douche when she calls and I don't answer, but it's so awkward when we actually do talk, and…I don't know what to do."

Kyla let out a miserable sigh. "Things…haven't been all that great with Aiden recently, either. When we first got back together, it was fun, it was exciting, and when we got married, it felt right. But now…the honeymoon's over."

"…and I guess me tagging along all the time doesn't help, huh…?" The brunette shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Kyla. Some house guest, huh?"

"Look, I told you that you could live here for a while, and that hasn't changed. You're just going to have to stop pissing us off."

Glen managed a smile, small though it was. "Okay. I promise I'll be better. And hey, if you need…something...you know, since you're being all cool letting me live here…if I can help with the Aiden thing…you know, I can…Wow, I'm really bad at this."

Kyla smiled and decided to give him a hand. "Okay, if I ever need to talk to someone about Aiden, then yeah, I'll come to you. I kind of have to. Ashley just starts cracking jokes, and Spencer's schedule this semester is insane, so…"

"I'm your guy."

"Looks like."

"I should…probably apologize, huh?"

"You know what? Wait until tomorrow and let him cool off. I'll talk to him when he gets back." She started towards her bedroom. "Goodnight, Glen."

"Hey, Kyla." Glen pointed both index fingers at the girl in a 'you're the best' sort of way. "Night, roomie."

With a weary smile, Kyla half-heartedly returned the gesture before leaving the room. Taking his phone out of his pocket, Glen looked down at the device and blew out a breath.

**Scene: **

_**Ashley and Spencer's Loft – Late Night**_

After saying goodbye to Jackson and Melanie and closing the loft door, Spencer found a pair of arms wrapping around her waist and a chin resting on her shoulder.

She smiled reflexively and leaned her temple against Ashley's. "Mm, hi."

"Hi," came the murmured echo in her ear.

The seconds ticked steadily by, but neither girl moved, too content to try.

Then, "Spence…?" Ashley whispered cautiously.

"Hm?"

"I feel the need to tell you…" the brunette began in a serious tone.

"What?"

Ashley breathed in and let out a big sigh. "…I love your friends."

The dramatic statement made Spencer laugh, and she turned around in the girl's embrace.

"See? I told you you'd like them. And the party didn't kill you, did it?"

"No, but the collective fashion sense almost did. When did leggings make a comeback?" Shaking off her shudder, Ashley backtracked. "I have to say, though, I'm noticing a rather violent theme for the parties I've been to."

"…yeah…"

Ashley winced at her girlfriend's disheartened slump. "Hey…" Arms still tight around Spencer's waist, Ashley pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Bumping her nose lightly into the blonde's finally won a tiny smile. "Are you ready to turn in?"

Spencer regarded her girlfriend suspiciously. "Do you actually mean for sleep?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Will your dreams involve being The Killer's next victim?"

"Ash…" the blonde whined.

The shorter girl loosened her grip in surrender. "All right, but if I start to hear unrestrained moaning, I'm waking you up."

"And what if it's you I'm dreaming about?" Spencer challenged.

Ashley flashed a crooked grin. "Well, then I'm _definitely_ waking you up."

It wasn't long before the girls were safely under the covers, Ashley snuggled happily along the blonde's back.

"Love you," Spencer mumbled sleepily.

The brunette smiled into blonde hair. "Love you, too."

"Good night, Ash."

"'night." There was a pause. "…jailbait."

The blankets jerked with Spencer's kick, her shoulder muffling Ashley's inevitable laughter.

**THE END.**


End file.
